Unusually there were some Cambodian sweet foods, so naturally I tried those as well, just so you can be sure that they were all coconut based ( hurray); the pain au chocolate was very pedestrian after all those...
This morning was time for learning about Cambodia's past. You can't visit this country and ignore the terrible reign of Pol Pot and his Khmer Rouge party. Three million Cambodian people died in just under 4 years, many on the Killing Fields. There were several hundred of these scattered throughout Cambodia and it is where the people were brought following weeks or months of interrogation - men but also women and most heartbreakingly of all, children. Why the children? So they couldn't grow up and seek revenge.
It didn't feel right to take photographs really, so I only took a few, because I know the memory of this visit will not fade.
From there we visited the Interogation Centre. I didn't take any photographs. But collected a leaf from one of the frangipani trees situated in the court yard as a token of rememberance.
On the way to lunch we stopped off in the local market and bought traditional Cambodia cotton scarves from this smiling girl.
Lunch was in a traditional Cambodian Restaurant, and I managed to persuade Thida, my guide to eat with me too. Apparently the driver was too shy to join us!
No need for a menu, we ate her favourite dishes, stir fry morning glory with sticky rice
which was really good and then banana flower salad
and on the way out I spotted this floral art.
As it is Sunday there were many people visiting the temples to pray and leave offerings, often food and lotus flowers.
I hadn't expected Cambodia to be as interesting ( and tasty!) but it has been a fantastic start to my adventure. Definitely one to put in the 'must visit again' list.
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